Fuel Smarts

Shell CEO Expects Natural Gas Prices to Rise

Shell's chief executive told The Financial Times the company expects natural gas prices in the U.S., which are currently at 10-year lows, to double by 2015.

In an interview, chief executive Peter Voser said Shell is using a price of $4 to $6 per million Btu for 2014-2015, up from the current $2.55.

The price increase will be driven by increased demand, "as coal is replaced by gas in electricity generation, and gas in transportation takes off."

Shell is also looking into turning U.S. natural gas into diesel. The Wall Street Journalrecently reported that Shell is considering building a plant in Louisiana similar to an existing gas-to-liquids facility in Qatar.